According to John Harper in the Daily News, ‘Mets RHP Mike Pelfrey took a major step backward last season, to the point where baseball people are whispering about him as a head case.’

Harper believes the Mets are concerned that Pelfrey has a genuineissue with ‘anxiety on the mound.’

Last summer, in a report for Newsday, David Lennon said Pelfrey decided to run laps in the Coors Field parking lot in the middle of a game in September, after he was pulled in the fourth inning.

Pelfrey had been 4–1 with a 3.88 ERA through his first nine starts of the season, during which the team was 7–2; but he finished going 6–10 in his final 22 starts, with a 5.55 ERA.

Speaking of bizarre antics on the mound…

Earlier today, Mets C Omir Santos was a guest of Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton on WFAN, during which they had the following exchange:

Esiason: What’s going on with Oliver Perez, he’s not all there is he? Santos: I mean, (pause), he’s, umm…Carton: It’s OK, go ahead, you can say it to us…Santos: I mean, he’s kind of, (pause)…Carton: Nutty. Santos: (Laughing)Carton: Go ahead, Omir, come on now…Esiason: He’s talking to himself out there, isn’t he?Santos: Yeah, he talks to himself a lot. Sometimes I go out there, because I think he’s talking to me and he’s not… I say, ‘Did you call me?’ He says, ‘No, no, I’m talking to myself.’